Socket 754 Roundup, Part 3: Asus, Soltek & DFI

Soltek K8AN2E-GR: Features and Layout

Soltek K8AN2E-GR Motherboard Specifications
CPU Interface	Socket 754 Athlon 64
Chipset	nVidia nForce3-250Gb
CPU Ratios	4 to 20X in 1X increments
Bus Speeds	200MHz to 250MHz (in 1MHz increments)
PCI/AGP Speeds	Auto, 66MHz to 100MHz (in 1MHz increments)
HyperTransport	1x-5x (200MHz to 1GHz)
Core Voltage	0.8V-1.55V in .025V increments
DRAM Voltage	2.6V to 2.8V in 0.1V increments
AGP Voltage	1.5V to 1.8V in 0.1V increments
Chipset Voltage	1.6V to 1.9V in 0.1V increments
Memory Slots	Two 184-pin DDR DIMM Slots Unbuffered Memory to 2GB Total
Expansion Slots	1 AGP 8X Slot 5 PCI Slots
Onboard SATA/RAID	nVidia 2-Drive SATA by nF3-250 RAID 0, 1, JBOD PLUS 2 SATA by Promise PDC20579 RAID 0, 1, JBOD
Onboard IDE/RAID	Two nVidia ATA133/100/66 by nF3-250Gb (4 drives) RAID 0, 1, JBOD plus One Promise RAID IDE (2 drives) by PDC20579
Onboard USB 2.0/IEEE-1394	8 USB 2.0 ports supported by nF3-250 No FireWire ports
Onboard LAN	Gigabit Ethernet by Cicada CIS8201 PHY
Onboard Audio	Realtek ALC650 6-Channel with SPDIF
BIOS	Version 1.1 (9/02/2004)

The Soltek is smaller than a standard ATX board. While it is clear that Soltek has designed the K8AN2E for value, like the Chaintech VNF3-250, it is interesting that Soltek decided to implement most of the unique features of the nF3-250 family by using the premium 250Gb chipset instead of the cheaper nF3-250. Vendors stocking the Soltek are selling it for less than $100, and the 250Gb brings you the nVidia on-chip LAN and Firewall/RAID capabilities of the Gb chipset.

It would have been an even better board if Soltek had fully implemented the nVidia SATA RAID capabilities, but you can see that the additional 2 SATA channels and an added IDE channel are provided by the Promise controller. Once again, this arrangement proved to limit overclocking capabilities with a SATA drive, though the board was still capable with an IDE hard drive.

The range of overclocking controls and options on the Soltek are quite good, as we have come to expect of Soltek boards. The memory voltage extends to 2.8V, better than the Asus K8N-E but still on the low side. There is also a useful range of chipset voltage adjustments missing from the Asus, and an HT range to 5X. The only puzzle here is the CPU range to just 250 with the latest BIOS. Our evaluation BIOS extended to 300, so we were surprised to see that Soltek cut the range on the latest BIOS. Frankly, 250 is not enough for an nForce3-250 board with working PCI/AGP lock, and we hope that Soltek can correct this with a new BIOS. The CPU voltage options to just 1.55V are also limited for a CPU rated at 1.5V.

All-in-all, Soltek makes fewer compromises than the Chaintech VNF3-250 in their effort to control price of the 754 board. The only real feature missing from the Soltek is IEE 1394 Firewire ports. So, if this is an important feature, look elsewhere or plan to use an accessory PCI Firewire controller. However, the Chaintech still succeeds better than almost any value 754 in the area of overclocking.

The Soltek is smaller than a full ATX size, but the layout is very good, better than you might expect in a smaller board. The main IDE connectors are located in the preferred upper right edge. The 24-pin ATX power and 4-pin 12V are both near board edges where they do not interfere with other components. The floppy location will be a concern to some with a lower right edge location, but this will not likely be a problem in the cases that are most likely to be combined with the value Soltek board. The Promise SATA and IDE connections are also located at the lower right.

Another departure from the usual for Soltek is the use of two DIMM connectors instead of the more common 3 connectors, which will be an issue to some end users. There is clearly room for 3 connectors; it even appears the board was designed for 3 dimm slots. However, Soltek uses just 2 dimm slots on the K8AN2E.